Autumn Leaves
by the real vampire
Summary: The end of Autumn brings a change to Tori's life that is unexpected, but not unwelcomed. One Shot.


Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own them. Only in my dreams...

Summery: The end of Autumn brings a change to Tori's life that is unexpected, but not unwelcomed. One Shot.

Author Note: Well the muse has really been attacking me lately, just not on the stories I want it to. Oh well. Thought I'd post this before my first army training weekend, just in case :P Not to worry anyone, I haven't joined the regular army! Just a student version of the TA. 'smiles' Hope you enjoy this. Autumn is one of my favourite times of year. I wanted this story to be quite description-based, as I have come to realise that while I am good at dialogue, my description of people and especially setting are lacking - so what I see in my mind is often not translated onto the page!!! Let me know what you think of this!!!!!

_the real vampire_

**

* * *

****Autumn Leaves**

A cool crisp breeze rustled gently through the forest, the trees proudly bearing their autumn mantle of red, bronze and gold. The early morning sun was just peaking over the horizon, its pale tendrils of light turning the mountainsides ablaze with colour and beginning to banish the mist that hung low across the ground. The smell of damp earth mingled with the scent of wood burning to add flavour to the crisp chillness of the morning. Tori's breath hung in fine clouds in front of her as she made her way up through the woods towards the waterfall that lead to the Wind Ninja Academy. The sun, faint as it was, warmed her as she passed into a clearing, a marked change from the cold shadows beneath the trees. Tori stood for a moment, allowing the warmth to wash over her and rid the lingering chill from her body. But even this warmth would be short lived, for already there was a hint of frost in the air, a sign that the ever-encroaching winter was tightening its grip on the season. The water ninja tucked a flyaway strand of blonde hair behind her ear with a gloved hand and pulled her coat close around her as she continued on. Dead and decaying leaves carpeted the forest floor and Tori idly kicked at them as she trudged onwards. She could have ninja streaked, like her fellow senseis' Dustin and Shane would have, but she enjoyed the peace and solitude of the mountain. It gave her time to think.

By the time she reached the waterfall, the wind was biting at her cheeks and nipping the tips of her ears. Shivering slightly despite her scarf and warm coat, Tori concentrated briefly and walked through the secret entrance into the Ninja Academy. As soon as she emerged from the portal in a clearing above the waterfall, sounds assailed her ears. There was a clattering of wood against wood which echoed in the chill air, and the sounds of shrieks and laughter. Three students ran passed her, the last one stumbling on a fallen branch and almost bumping into the petite woman.

"Watch it," Tori yelled after them, but a smile twitched at the corners of her mouth.

"Sorry Sensei," the student called back, before rushing off again.

The ex-blue ranger shook her head ruefully as she remembered a time when she had been just like them. But those carefree days were long gone, just like the summer that had already faded to memory. Had it really been twelve years since Lothor had been defeated? The answer was plainly written on Tori's face; no longer a girl, but a woman of twenty-nine. The last traces of childish softness were gone, replaced by maturity and the first faint lines were beginning to appear around the edges of her eyes, but her beauty was undiminished.

She walked up through the trees and, entering the academy through the main gate, the reason for the clattering wood becoming clear. A tall, serious dark man was wielding a jo; the four foot long wooden poles often used by ninjas, against his opponent, a shorter man with curly brown hair and a grin on his face. Both were wearing the uniforms that marked them as sensei of the Wind Academy, one edged with red and the other yellow. As Tori approached, the taller man thrust his jo under his adversary's and with a quick twist disarmed him, then brought his weapon around swiftly, stopping mere inches from the other man's head.

The Hispanic man groaned and turned his eyes skyward, "Aw dude, not again," he said in a resigned voice, running a hand through his thick curls.

"Better luck next time," the man with the red-edged uniform replied, a sudden smile gracing his face and removing some of the seriousness. "Hey Tor," he turned and greeted her.

Tori raised an arm to acknowledge the two men before continuing on to the main school building. Built in the style of a traditional Japanese dojo, its sloping roof arching gracefully up to meet the pale blue sky, it looked as if it had stood there for hundreds of years. Entering the senseis' private rooms, Tori was met by a crackling wood fire. Stripping off her outer clothes, she smiled as she recalled the fight. It had become a kind of tradition for Dustin and Shane. Every morning for the past seven or so years they had sparred against each other, using various weapons. Shane always won with the jo. Twelve years had changed the two men; Dustin was no longer the airhead of the past. His wife, Marah who was at home looking after their three children, had rubbed off most of his goofiness, but he still had his moments. Shane too had matured and had just proposed to his girlfriend of five years so there would be another wedding coming up. And talking of weddings…

Tori had just finished putting on her own uniform, similar to the other two's but edged with light blue, when a tall Asian man entered the room. His face was starting to show the signs of his thirty-five years and his hair had a faint sprinkling of silver, but it only added to his bearing.

"Hey Cam," the water sensei smiled at the samurai. "How was the honeymoon?" she added with a smirk.

Cam turned pink, "Um, yeah, it was good, thanks."

"Just good?" she asked with raised eyebrows. "Will Kayla agree to that?" As she'd predicted, Cam's blush deepened and Tori grinned, "I'm just messing. I'm glad you had fun. You'll have to tell me all about it later. Right now I've got a white belt water ninja class to teach, which could get interesting."

The samurai laughed at the truth of that and waved her away.

Stepping out of the warm room back into the crisp chillness of the training yard Tori rubbed her hands together and wished she still had her gloves on. She surveyed her beginner water ninjas, who stood in three rows waiting for her instructions, their noses and cheeks pinched pink by the cold. She smiled, "Ok girls and boys; let's get you warmed up…"

_XxX_

Two and a half hours later Tori took pity on the bedraggled and shivering water students and finished the class. Relieved smiles broke out on their faces and the trainee ninjas headed home. With a couple of hours to spare before her afternoon lessons started she headed across the deserted yard. Shane and Dustin were still out in the surrounding forest with their respective students, while Cam had opted for teaching his samurais in the relative warmth of one of the smaller dojos. A sudden gust of wind blew a volley of leaves across the ground in front of her. Looking up, Tori saw menacing grey clouds rolling in and she quickened her pace.

She made it to the door just as the first heavy drops of rain began to fall. Throwing herself down on one of the futons that were in the senseis room she gratefully warmed herself in front of the open log fire. The room was a tranquil haven for the teachers of the Wind Ninja Academy; a peaceful place where they could relax and meditate. In the summer the screens could be opened to allow access to a private garden, surrounded by Japanese maples and birch trees. A stream ran through it, crossed by a simple stone bridge that led to a shrine. The shrine was dwarfed by two trees, the crowning glories of the garden. An Oyama Magnolia, who in spring bore beautiful white bowl-shaped flowers, entwined with a Japanese maple, whose leaves looked like drops of red blood shining in the sun. In spring and summer it was Tori's favourite place to sit and meditate. But now the screens were drawn shut and the rain hammered down outside.

Tori was sitting staring into the flames when the door suddenly burst open and a gust of wind blew in, causing her to jump. She turned to see a tall, powerful figure framed in the doorway and two hawk-like blue eyes fixed on to hers. For a second Tori felt frozen, as if she had been turned to stone. But then the door slammed shut and the noise seemed bring reality home. Shaking her head slightly to clear it, she looked at the newcomer and couldn't help but smile at the sight. "It's raining outside," she remarked.

The blue eyes danced with amusement, "Nah I just stood under the waterfall fully clothed for the hell of it," Hunter said sarcastically as he removed his big outdoor coat and shook the rainwater from it. His dirty blonde hair fell raggedly across his face and just brushed the nape of his neck. The head teacher of the Thunder Ninja Academy had barely changed in the twelve years Tori had known him. His face was smooth and had retained the look of mischief and boyish charm and his eyes shone with life. He did not look thirty-three, but he was.

"So what brings you here on this fine day?" Tori grinned as she took his coat and hung it up to dry for him.

"Oh I just thought I'd take a stroll in the sunshine," Hunter quipped as he flung himself down on a futon.

The water ninja laughed, "You want some tea?"

The thunder ninja raised his eyes to her, "Please. Is Cam back from honeymoon yet?"

"Yeah, arrived home last night I think. I saw him this morning," Tori replied absently as she heated the water. "Don't tell me you've come all this way just to quiz him about his holiday."

Hunter chuckled, "The thought had crossed my mind but my questions would probably make him blush and earn me a clip around the ear. No, I actually came to talk about this year's interschool competition. We've got some last minute details to go through."

"Ah." Understanding dawned. When the thunder ninjas had joined the winds to defeat Lothor, they had broken the ages-long animosity between the two academies. In an effort to promote friendly relations, an annual competition had been set up.

Just then the door opened again and Shane and Dustin entered. The two senseis were dripping wet and shivering with the cold.

"Hey dude, what are you doing here?" Dustin asked, his brown hair plastered to his face, when he saw the head teacher of the thunder academy there.

Hunter, who had stood when they walked in, opened his mouth to explain but Shane had spotted a warm and dry Tori by the fire. "Where's your class?" he asked her, running a hand across his short hair to rid the water from it.

"Oh I sent them home about an hour ago, just before the rain started," Tori said lightly as she grabbed two extra cups.

"You sent them home?" the air sensei repeated.

"Yep," she replied, deliberately oblivious to the look on Shane's face. "In case you've forgotten, my element is cold and wet enough without having to deal with Mother Nature. Now if I wanted my students to catch pneumonia we'd still be out there. But water isn't warm like air or dry like earth and I'm not freezing my accents off any longer than I need to. It's not my fault if you decided to torture your poor students by keeping them out in this." Although there was a smile on her face as she spoke, there was an icy undertone warning Shane not to press it. Tori loved Shane like a brother, but, just like a brother he could sometimes irritate the hell out of her.

Dustin recognised the danger signals, "We stopped as soon as the rain started," he remarked. "Unfortunately it took us an hour to get back and we got drenched in the process."

Hunter, standing with his arms folded, raised an eyebrow, "Why did it take you an hour? Forget you had ninja powers?"

"Dude." Dustin gave the thunder ninja a shocked look, "It's dangerous enough trying to streak through a forest on a dry day. Hit a tree and, trust me on this, I know from experience, it hurts. Let alone try it when it's hurling it down and the leaves on the ground are slippery. It's like, instant death."

"_I _did it," Hunter said simply.

"That's because you're insane," Shane said wearily. "I mean riding that damned motorbike of yours and streaking through a wet forest it's like you have a death wish or something."

Hunter laughed, "Not a death wish, just after a bit of excitement. What's life unless you live on the edge sometimes?"

The ex-red ranger merely shook his head, "That's what you call it? I can't believe it's only lunchtime, I'm exhausted," he groaned as he sat down.

"Here. Drink this and shut up," Tori grinned and handed him a cup of tea.

The three men gratefully took the tea she offered them and sat down on the futons. Tori poured herself a cup of the hot honey-coloured liquid and then joined them. There was an amicable silence as the four senseis relaxed in the precious time they had before their afternoon classes started.

"Who's up for pizza?" Dustin asked suddenly, causing the other three to send him startled looks.

Hunter grinned, "Don't tell me you're still ordering pizza to the clearing are you?"

Shane sighed, "Yes he still is, even though Sensei Kanoi warned him not to."

Dustin pulled a childish face behind the wind sensei's back, causing Tori to choke on the sip of tea she had just taken. Hunter jumped up quickly and slapped her firmly on the back. Dissolving into a coughing fit, the petite blonde raised an arm to prevent Hunter hitting her again.

"I'm ok," she wheezed, "It just went down the wrong way, that's all." She took a few deep, calming breaths and then smiled, "See, all better." Hunter nodded and returned to his seat just as Cam walked in, so all thoughts of pizza were swiftly forgotten.

"Hunter." There was no sign of surprise in the samurai's voice, he was just merely stating the fact that the thunder ninja was there.

"Cam." Hunter stood and smiled at the older Asian man. "I came to finalise some details about the competition."

Cam nodded, "Sure. As soon as these three wasters clear out and go do some work we can go over it in here." This was accompanied by a pointed look at the three said 'wasters'.

"Dudes, I think that's our cue to leave," Dustin said, standing.

Tori nodded and drained the last dregs of her tea before standing also, "Come on, I guess we'd better earn our keep." With that the three of them ventured back out of the warmth of the room to where the rain was still hammering it down outside.

_XxX_

By the time Tori dismissed her last class and made it back to the senseis room, Shane and Dustin had already gone home and Cam and Hunter were no where to be seen. Tori assumed that after they had finished business, the thunder ninja would have returned to his academy. It seemed to Tori that the only time she saw Hunter now was when he was working.

Rubbing a towel warmed by the fire over her hair to dry it, she shrugged herself out of her damp uniform and pulled on her civilian clothes. Wrapping herself up in her coat, scarf and gloves she stepped back outside. The rain had stopped and there were few clouds visible in the darkening sky. The temperature had dropped a few degrees though and the wind cut through her coat, chilling her.

She began walking down through the upper forest, her breath coming out in icy puffs. The last golden rays of the sun cast long shadows beneath the trees and Tori suddenly had an eerie feeling that she was being followed. Hurrying up slightly, she reached the clearing and spun around, dropping into a defensive stance, fists raised. Then she saw who was behind her and relaxed.

Hunter stepped out of the tree line, hands out in front of him showing empty palms, "I didn't mean to frighten you."

"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that. You're going to get yourself in trouble, not to mention give me a heart attack," Tori berated him with a smile.

"Sorry," Hunter apologised, kicking a pile of leaves with his boot, "I just thought you might like some company on the long walk home?"

Tori started to laugh and then read something in Hunter's face. "Sure," she said and turned to where the portal was.

As the world began to get foggy, Tori felt the ex-crimson ranger's presence beside her. When her vision cleared they were both standing at the base of the waterfall. The final traces of light had faded to a dull glow on the western horizon and already some stars were visible in the sky. The two ninjas walked through the dark forest in a companionable silence.

Finally Hunter spoke. "So have you heard from Blake recently?" he asked her.

Tori looked sideways at the blonde man, but in the deepening twilight his expression was unreadable. "Why are you asking me that?"

"Just wondering," Hunter said lightly, be he couldn't disguise the discomfort in his voice.

Tori sighed and pulled her coat tighter as a gust of wind sent shivers running through her. "Not since March," she said softly. "He phoned to ask about Cam's engagement and then left me to read it in a magazine about him and that actress." There was a hint of bitterness in her tone, but it was tempered by sadness as she added, "He didn't even phone on my birthday."

"Oh." Hunter almost wished he hadn't bought it up, but with Blake being so secretive about what had happened between them he had just wanted to make sure Tori was ok. An uncomfortable silence descended as they left the woods and entered the town of Blue Bay Harbour. The street lights cast a harsh orange glow over everything and the noise of traffic was almost unbearable after the peaceful tranquillity of the forest.

"Seems like everybody's getting married lately doesn't it?" Hunter remarked, just for the need to say something.

Tori stopped dead and gave him a horrified look, "You're not telling me that… Blake's not..?" she stammered.

The thunder sensei realised how it might have sounded, "No, _no_," he said with a small laugh. "He hasn't said anything to me about it anyway." He saw the look on her face, "Would it matter to you if he was? I mean, I thought you were ok with him?"

"I am," Tori said, but felt her voice catch. She cleared her throat, "I am over him. We finished years ago, but just because you're over someone doesn't mean they can't ever hurt you. I've known Blake a long time now and we used to be so close, as friends. Now we barely talk. And as you said, it just seems that everyone's finding their special someone and here I am, twenty-nine years old and still single. I thought I'd have been married by now…" she trailed off, then pulled a face and looked back at her blonde companion, "So how about you? A girl finally manage to tame you yet?"

Hunter laughed, "Hell no! I'm still single and I have no intention of getting married."

"Not ever?"

"Nope, not ever ever," he replied, raking his fingers though his hair.

Tori was stunned, "But don't you want to find someone who you want to spend the rest of your life with?"

"Of course," Hunter said with a smile, "I just don't need a piece of paper to tell me that I love someone."

"But if you want children, a family?"

He shook his head, "Can still have those. I'd love to have kids. I just don't need to get married to have all that." He turned and laughed at the scandalised look on the water ninja's face, "There I go again, challenging everyone's traditional beliefs. And then you wonder why I'm single!"

Tori stared at him for a long moment then began laughing, "I think any girl would be a fool to not love you because of that."

Hunter raised his eyebrow at her, "You think so?" There was a trace of uncertainty in his voice that had not been there before, and his blue eyes pierced straight through to her soul, almost as if he was looking for something.

Tori swallowed heavily and then with relief noticed that she was almost home. Another sudden gust of icy wind tugged forcefully at her coat and sent chills running through her. Looking up, she saw grey clouds scudding across the bright orb of the full moon, causing a bluish glow around the edges of the circle. It was quite creepy, and Tori was secretly glad of Hunter's powerful figure walking silently beside her. They reached the door to her apartment block and the water sensei dug in her pocket to find her keys. Pulling them out, she struggled to get them into the door with her thick gloves on.

"Allow me." Hunter reached past her and took the keys from her hand. Tori was painfully aware of how close her body was to Hunter's in the small space they were in. She couldn't help but glance at his face as his body was pressed next to her. The key turned in the lock and he looked down at her, grinning. "There you go, milady."

Tori smiled at him, but couldn't help feeling that her face was burning. Why was she acting like this? It was just Hunter… "Thank you," she said, sliding past him into the doorway. She turned to face him, and found herself staring into his blue eyes. Suddenly he bent forward towards her and pressed his lips firmly to her mouth. It was so unexpected that Tori found herself unable to move; too stunned by the feel of Hunter's warm lips against hers to even kiss back.

Mistaking her surprise for horror, the thunder ninja pulled back with a panicked expression on his face. "Tor, I'm sorry, I didn't… I don't know what came over me…" He was cut off by Tori pressing a gloved finger to his lips.

"It's ok," she said softly. Seeing the confusion in his eyes, Tori took a deep breath, and, even as she spoke the words she knew they were true. "It's really ok. I was just surprised. I didn't want you to think I didn't like it, because…" she blushed and dropped her voice into a whisper so as Hunter had to strain to hear it, "… I did." Biting her lip, she looked back up into his eyes and felt the uncomfortable silence stretching between them. "Hell Hunter, we're both adults. Let's stop acting like embarrassed teenagers."

He laughed ruefully and ran a hand through his blonde hair. Tori couldn't help but notice the way it brushed against his neck and then fell back across his forehead. "So what do you suggest?" he asked.

Tori shivered as another gust of wind cut through her coat, "Would you like to come in for some… company?" she asked, a sudden sense of loneliness washing over her. It wasn't until that moment that Tori realised just how alone she had been feeling, and a surge of affection for the tall blonde man in front of her almost made her gasp.

"Are you sure?" Hunter was giving her a strange look.

Tori pulled herself up straighter, "Hunter Bradley get your mind out of the gutter. I didn't mean it like that!"

The ex-crimson ranger actually blushed. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"It's fine." Tori looked up into his face, and found herself drowning in his eyes. "So would you… like to… come in?" Her voice sounded as if it came from far away as he bent his head down to once again capture her lips in a kiss, and this time Tori could not help but return it fully. Time melted into nothing but the sweet sensation of Hunter's lips gently caressing her own and the heat of their two bodies pressed together under the autumn night sky.

"I'd love to come in," Hunter whispered against her cheek, and Tori had a sudden realisation that she wouldn't be lonely again.

**The End.**


End file.
